passet



APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1919.

Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- S. F. M. PASSET. PHOJECTILE, SHELL, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. s, |9|9.

1,31 0, 1 32. I Patented July 15, 1919.

2 .SHEETS-$HEET 2.

STEPHANIE FRANQOIS MARIE PASSET, F BOULOGNE-SURr-SEINE, FRANCE.

PROJECTILE, SHE-LL, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed February 6. 1919. Serial No. 275,380.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, S'rnrHANE FRANgoIs MARIE PASSET, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Boulogne-sur-Seine, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, Shells, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an arrangement to be placed in a shell for the prO ecting of reels of metallic wire each furnished with a parachute by the aid of which aerial barrages may be established against aircraft.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a shell provided with two of my reel projecting devices.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of one of my reel projecting devices, showing the same in the act of dropping from a parachute, the lower portions of the cords of the parachute being shown in perspective.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a parachute with one of my reels suspended therefrom.

In this drawing, 1 isthe body of the shell provided at the top with a nose or cap 2 attached thereto by shallow threads, the object of which will be described later.

In its lower half the shell 1 has a shoulder 3 on which the base 4 rests, suitably hollowed out in its upper half and furnished with a screw 5 acting as a stopper. A thinly walled cylinder 6 is fitted at its lower extremity into the base 4 on which it is fixed by projections or pins such as 7.

Projections 8 of the base 4 engage in recesses in the shoulder 3 of the shell 1, to prevent all angular displacement between the latter and the base 4.

A disk 9 engages with suitable friction in the bottom of the cylindrical tube 6, to form a piston therein.

On the disk 9 are superimposed the reels 10 on each one of which rests a parachute 11 suitably folded.

Each parachute 11 is held between two semi-cylindrical sleeves 12 held by friction in the cylindrical tube 6.

A metal disk 13 separates the parachute of the lower reel 10 from the reel placed above it.

A cap 14 fitsthe upper extremlty of the tube 6 and projections 15 formed thereon engage in notches in the upper edge of the tube 6 and prevent all angular displacement of this latter in relation to the cap 14.

In its upper part the cap 14 is hollowed out to receive a change of powder from which a fuse thread 16 asses through longitudinal grooves 17 an 18 formed respectively in the cap 14 and in the base 4, and also through the annular space comprised -between the interior wall of the shell and the tube 6 and communicates with another charge of explosive powder contained in the base 4 under the disk 9.

It will be understood that any suitable engaging means may be provided between the side walls of the casing 1 and the Various elements.

The nose or cap 2 is screwed until it rests on the cap 14, the axial bore which contains the fuse opens above the powder contained in the nose 2.

The screw 5 allows the charge of explosive powder to be placed in the shell at the same time as the reels and parachutes; a washer is preferably interposed between the head of the screw 5 and the under part of the base 4.

Each parachute 11 is attached to one of the ends of the wire of the corresponding reel 10.

The thread of the latter is wound in such a way as to form a hollow cylinder 18 which will be unwound spirally. For this object it is held between disks 19 over which are fitted the edges of a thin met bl cylinder 20.

The shell provided with the device is fired from the gun after setting the fuses which communicate with the upper charge of powder.

The gas generated by the explosion acting on the upper face of the cap 14 eXpels the nose 2 by shearing the threads.

The upper charge of' powder communicates in its turn practically instantaneously through the fuse 16 to the lower charge.

The gas of this explosion acting on the base 4 projects from the cylinder the disk 9 forming the piston, the reels 10, their parachutes 11, the sleeves containing the parachutes, the disks 13 and the cap 14. The cylinder 6 and its base 4 remain in the body of the shell 1.

As soon as the parachutes are out of the tube (3 the semi-cylindrical sleems 12 separate and leave them entirely free to spread;

the reels which are respectively suspended therefrom at the same t1me become unwound.

between the elements in relation to the shell.

In the case of projection by a shell it permits of obtaining by means of two charges of powder placed one between the cap and the nose and the other between the base of the cylinder and the propelling piston, first the projection of the nose by the shearing of the threads and subsequently the projection from the cylinder of the elements which it contains together with the cap which closes the cylinder whether the cylinder remains normally in the shell or whether it has been previously projected out by a rotation or oscillation of the shell.

It prevents the'contact of all sparks or fire with two reels and their parachutes.

It allows finally the introduction of the two charges of powder after the elements of the device have been placed in the cylinder without their having to be disturbed.

It is to be understood that there can be any number of reels 10 and they can'be reduced to one, and in every case the reel can be placed above or below its parachute.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a shell, the combination with the body of the shell of reels of metallic wire and parachutes connected thereto, and means for expelling the reels and the parachutes from the shell to form an aerial barrage against aircraft.

2. In a shell the combination with the body of the shell of an inner cylinder closed at both ends and reels of wire and parachutes contained therein.

3. In a shell the combination with the body of the shell of an inner cylinder, reels of wire and parachutes contained therein, a cap above the cylinder-t0 hold it in position and to receive a charge of explosive powder to blow. off the said cap, and a base below the cylinder to contain a second charge to expel'the contents of the cylinder.

4. In ashell the combination with the body of the shell of an inner cylinder, reels of wire and parachutes contained therein, a

cap above the cylinder to hold it in position and to receive a charge of explosive powder to blow off the said cap, a base below the cylinder to contain a second charge and a portion in the cylinder to receive the force of the explosion of the second charge and expel the contents of the cylinder.

5. In a shell the combination with the body of the shell of an inner cylinder, reels of wire and parachutes contained therein, a cap above the cylinder to hold it in position and to receive a charge of explosive powder to blow off the nose,,a base below the cylinder to contain a second charge, a fuse thread carried in suitable grooves connecting the two charges and a piston in the cylinder to receive the force of the explosion of the second charge and expel the contents of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

STEPHANE FRANQOIS MARIE PASSET. 

